NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science, Chapter 2 - Components of Food

The NCERT Class 6 Science, Chapter 2 elaborates what our food contains and why is it advised to eat some foods in some fixed proportions. It deals with the effects of different food components on our body and how to ensure taking a balanced diet. The chapter starts by discussing the main contents or ingredients of the food items that we eat. It introduces terms like nutrients, carbohydrates, proteins, etc. Learning is aided by activities to determine the presence of these nutrients in everyday foods.

The chapter further emphasises the role of these nutrients in the development of our bodies and how we should consume a balanced diet in order to ensure the overall development and well-being of our body.

To know more about NCERT Solutions for Class 6, Science Chapter 2 – Components of Food, let’s look at the sub-parts of this chapter:

2.1 What do different food items contain?

2.2 What do various nutrients do for our body?

2.3 Balanced Diet

2.4 Deficiency Diseases

In Class 6 Science Chapter 2, you will learn-

Section 2.1 – Chapter 1 acquainted you with the ingredients of the different food items that you consume. Now this section in chapter 2 explains the term nutrients. These are the components that the ingredients contain. Nutrients are needed by the body to function normally and healthily. You are taught about the major nutrients- carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. In addition, you are also taught through activities, the tests that we can perform in order to check which food items contain which of these nutrients. There are tests for fats, carbohydrates, proteins and starch in the section. This section hence helps you to learn about the main components of the food they consume.

Section 2.2 – This section broadly explains the different functions performed by each of the nutrients for our body. For example, carbohydrates and fats provide our body with energy, proteins build our muscles, and vitamins keep eyes, bones, teeth and gums healthy.  Water, minerals and dietary fibres also help to keep the body in good health. Through diagrams, this section teaches about the sources of different nutrients, for instance, milk and eggs contain calcium, fish, eggs and meat are a good source of proteins, juicy fruits and lemon provide vitamin C, carrots are a great source of vitamin A, and so on and so forth.

Section 2.3 – In the previous sections, you were told that we obtain nutrients from the food that we eat, and each of these nutrients helps us to maintain our body health in different ways. This section focusses on the quantity in which each of these nutrients should be consumed so that a balanced diet can be achieved, thus keeping our body development and growth healthy and balanced. It explains the meaning of a balanced diet- a diet that contains all nutrients that our body needs in appropriate quantities, i.e., neither too little, nor too much of any nutrient. You are taught here that the excess or deficiency of any of these nutrients could interfere with the normal functioning of your body, hence affect health.

Section 2.4 – This section of chapter 2 deals with deficiency diseases that are caused as a result of lack or even excess of certain nutrients from our diet. It explains that even though we might be getting proper food, but sometimes there might be lack or excess of some nutrients, i.e., we might not be consuming them in proper quantity, or might be over-consuming them. This causes diseases in our body, for instance, weak bones, accumulation of fat, etc. Diseases caused by lack of nutrients over a long period are called deficiency diseases. Some examples from the chapter are- lack of protein causes stunted growth, swelling face, skin diseases and diarrhoea; lack of vitamin A causes loss of vision, and anaemia is caused by lack of iron. The section mentions a table carrying names of all deficiency disease and their symptoms.

To know more about the NCERT Solution for Class 6th Science Chapter 2 or NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Components of Food, explore NCERT Class 6 Science Chapter 2 PDF.